The ImageStore Project Case Studies
From ImageWeb
This page gives a brief overview of the four case studies being undertaken as part of The ImageStore Project.
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Case Study - Wildlife Conservation Research Videos
This case study involves the curation of videos taken by the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU). The videos record the behaviour of badgers and other species in Wytham Woods, at feeding stations and at badger setts. These were recorded as part of a number of scientific investigations, including a study of social behaviour and social structure, and a study of the use of chemical repellents as deterrents to the consumption of farm produce. The videos constitute a unique and substantial record of badger behaviour in the wild, which is of potential value to WildCRU, to other conservation research scientists, and to students of conservation biology and animal behaviour.
Case Study - Images of Gene Expression in Drosophila
This case study involves the curation of images of in-situ gene expression in the testes of Drosophila (fruit flies), taken by members of the Drosophila and Pest Insects Genetics Group. The images record the pattern of expression of a large number of different genes in the testes of normal flies and in various mutants with improper spermatogenetic function. Because the testes in Drosophila are highly structured organs, patterns of gene expression can be correlated with different stages of spermatogenesis. As such they provide evidence for the function of different genes within the process of sperm formation, and suggest mechanisms underlying known mutations. They also contribute substantially to the growing body of knowledge concerning gene function throughout the organism as a whole, and are therefore of significant value to members of the Drosophila genetics research community.
Case Study - Behavioural Ecology Research Videos
This case study involves videos taken by the Behavioural Ecology Research Group in the course of their studies of tool use in the Caledonian Crow. These videos constitute a unique record of the remarkable behaviour in this species within controlled studies, and provides the evidential basis for many important hypotheses regarding the origins and evolution of tool use.
Case Study - Electron Microscopy of Trypanosomes
Over the course of 15 years the Gull Lab at the Dunn School of Pathology has accumulated a substantial collection of electron micrographs recording the internal architecture of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of human sleeping sickness. These micrographs are being re-used on a daily basis to provide quantitative evidence for features of cell structure inferred from 3 dimensional electron tomography, and therefore the micrographs, tomographs and 3D models derived therefrom constitute an extremely valuable collection of research assets.
